The objectives of the project are the conception, synthesis, and development of improved materials for use in preventive and restorative dentistry. An attempt will be made to develop means to remove the "smeared" layer (the disturbed surface layer formed when cutting, scraping, or polishing of dentin or enamel is done with mechanical instruments) by means that will not threaten the health of the vital pulp. Also, chemical treatments of dentin and enamel surfaces with "mordants" will be evaluated to determine if they can improve the quality of active sites to which polyfunctional surface-active comonomers can adhere. Certain mordant metal ions can rapidly exchange with calcium ions on hydroxyapatite surfaces, and can probably interact with collagenous components of dentin also. It will be important to learn if these bound metal ions can react also (subsequently) with chelating groups of the coupling agents, and these agents, in turn, copolymerize with monomers of sealants, composites or other dental resins.